"This is proof that white collar crime is not a faceless offense that happens to other people," said NW3C Director Don Brackman in a statement. "This is a serious matter that affects people from all walks of life."

The NW3C is a non-profit membership group that studies white collar crime and works with law enforcement and companies. The group also partners with the FBI on the Internet Crime Complaint Center.

According to the survey, Americans consider many forms of white collar crime (faking drug labels, identity theft, market rigging) more serious than auto theft or assault. The most common crimes reported in the survey were credit card fraud and unnecessary repairs. A majority of those surveyed – 70% – believe white collar crime contributed to the current economic crisis and nearly half of them said the government isn't doing enough to fight white collar crime.

The survey also shows that more than 88% of white collar crime incidents are never reported to law-enforcement agencies. "You wouldn't hesitate to call the police if someone broke into your car," Brackman said. "You shouldn't hesitate to call them if someone breaks into your bank account."

The survey examined victimization, reporting behaviors and pubic perceptions of white collar crime. Below are some of the survey's key findings.

White Collar Crime is Prevalent in America
Americans are victimized by white collar crime more than all other forms of crime combined.

Nearly 1 in 4 households experienced at least one form of white collar crime in 2010.

17% of individual respondents reported experiencing at least one form of white collar crime.

The most common white collar crimes were credit card fraud, price misrepresentation and unnecessary repairs.

White collar crime victims were far more likely to report incidents to financial institutions (credit card companies and banks) than law enforcement. Nearly half of all known incidents went unreported, and of all household victimizations:

54.7% were reported.

11.7% were reported to law enforcement.

Most reports were made to banks or credit card companies, which might help victims recover lost money.